


scintilla

by kitsurama



Series: something between the sky and the sea [2]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Chuunin Exams, Enemies to Friends, Fuuinjutsu Master Uzumaki Naruto, Fuuinjutsu is badass, Gen, Red-Haired Uzumaki Naruto, Smart Uzumaki Naruto, not yet but hes working on it, you will have to pry red haired naruto from my cold dead hands
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-30
Updated: 2017-08-30
Packaged: 2018-12-21 22:18:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11953806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kitsurama/pseuds/kitsurama
Summary: Naruto is spitting blood but there's a grin stretching his lips.





	scintilla

Naruto is spitting blood but there's a grin stretching his lips.

He can feel his tenketsu points closed down, feel the bruises Neji’s Gentle Fist left on his body that the Kyuubi has already started to heal. But he doesn’t pay attention to the state he’s in--only caring for the approval from the fox in his stomach.

Naruto certainly doesn't care about the seal--about the fact Sarutobi is going to be spitting mad at him when this is all said and done. Naruto only cares for the way the Kyuubi lets out a laugh, letting his chakra roll through Naruto like a forest fire.

Naruto ignores the widening of Neji’s eyes, the shocked gasps from the onlookers, ignored the way he knows his features have shifted from purple and red to a brilliant blond and blue.

(He looks so much like the Yondaime now, he’s practically a miniature of his father.)

But for all that naruto doesn't have his mother's coloring, he’s still Uzumaki. The Hokage made sure he would looked the part of an Uzumaki and Jiraiya swore the seal would hold and be unnoticeable. Couple his volatile whirlpool of chakra and the red hair all Uzumaki are known for due to the seal, no one would be able to tell he’s his father's son unless they looked _underneath the underneath._

The only thing they didn’t count on was the Kyuubi’s corrosive chakra eating away at the seal when it’s used.

Like his mother, the jinchuuriki before him, a no name Uzushio orphan being the vessel of the Kyuubi wouldn't raise alarm. The Uzumaki name might have been terrifying once, but not after Uzushio fell.

Naruto can feel the Kyuubi’s chakra bubbling through his coils, red hot and fiery as he calls up the beasts chakra to form his favorite jutsu. With Neji focused on the shadow clones, Naruto easily manages to slip beneath the earth and tunnel his way under the Hyuuga.

When the last clone pops, Naruto closed his eye and pushed--

He erupts from the ground with a bang, slamming his fist into the underside of Neji’s jaw with a vicious triumph as he hears the boy trap a surprised noise behind his teeth before he hits the dirt.

He doesn’t manage to get his footing underneath him fast enough before Naruto is on him, palm lined with fuuinjutsu before he smacks the boy in the chest, the seal transfers, spreading out and encompassing the boy.

Neji stares wide eyed as gravity works against him and slams him against the ground chin first.

“How does it feel,” Naruto murmers, squatting down. “Being at the mercy of someone _below you._ ”

Naruto’s grin turns to something more sardonic. The feeling of Hinata’s blood dripping from his fingers haunts him, an echo feeling he probably won’t ever be rid of, but seeing Neji now, powerless against his seal makes _something_ curl in his chest.

Maybe it’s pride at knocking the Hyuuga off his pedestal, maybe it’s disappointment it look Naruto beating him to see the worth in others. He doesn’t care to find out.

A kunai is in Naruto’s hand a second later, and he twirls it once before placing it at Neji’s neck.

“Forfeit, there's no way you’re getting out of my gravity seal. The more you fight it the more pressure it puts on you.”

“Who are you,” Neji asks instead, softly.

“Naruto Uzumaki, dattebayo. I’m going to be the next Hokage.”

Neji gives a quiet exhale, something lighter in his eyes now. It’s not quiet acceptance but it’s close enough and Naruto can’t help but grin as Neji concedes defeat.

The crowd is quiet, and Naruto could swear most of them aren’t breathing as he deactivates his seal and pulls Neji to his feet. There's a big grin on his face, echoed by Neji’s smaller one as he throws an arm around the dark haired boys shoulder and leads them back to the contestant box.

It’s only when they reach the stairs that Naruto hears Sakura let out a loud cheer for him, and it startles everyone else into motion.

He gives a wide smile to an equally wide eyed Shikamaru, ignoring the questions he can see forming on the Nara’s lips as he turns to give the Hokage a cheeky wave.

Sarutobi looks exasperated, a promise of a lecture, but there's a fond amusement in his eyes when he gives Naruto a shake of his head and calls the next fight.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't think I talked about it last time but basically red haired Naruto comes from the fact I have no idea how people look at Naruto and don't see him as Minato's kid like??? Did no one put two and two together and get four?? So I mentioned once that what if Sarutobi had Jiraiya place a seal on Naruto that changed his coloring to his mothers and brushed him off as some random Uzumaki orphan who was picked for as the next jinchuuriki bc you know, Uzumaki.
> 
> Also sorry for any typos, I edited this from my phone oops.


End file.
